Eva Lys Seizes Last-Minute Chance, Advances in Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — In a dramatic turn of events, German tennis player Eva Lys, ranked 128th in the world, seized a last-minute opportunity to compete in the Australian Open main draw after Russian player Anna Kalinskaya withdrew. Lys, who had already booked her flight home after losing in the qualifying rounds, was called to the court just 15 minutes before her match against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.

“I was already packed and ready to leave,” Lys said. “I had my flight booked for Wednesday morning. I’m so happy I got to play here.” The 23-year-old, celebrating her birthday just days earlier, delivered a stunning performance, defeating Birrell 6-2, 6-2 in just 70 minutes.

Bundestrainer Torben Beltz described the situation as unprecedented. “I’ve never seen anything like it. She didn’t even have time to eat properly—she took sushi onto the court. It was incredible,” Beltz told BILD. Lys, who suffers from an incurable autoimmune disease, has faced challenges in her career but showed no signs of struggle during the match.

This marks Lys’s sixth appearance in a Grand Slam main draw and her second time advancing to the second round, following her performance at the 2022 US Open. Her victory earned her €120,000, a significant boost compared to the €43,500 she would have received for exiting in the qualifiers.

Lys’s next opponent is France’s Varvara Gracheva, with the match scheduled for Thursday. “I’m still a lucky loser,” Lys said. “I’ll go into the next match with the same mindset.” Her win adds to a strong start for German women at the tournament, with all four German players in the main draw advancing to the second round.

Meanwhile, other notable results included Daniel Altmaier‘s five-set victory over Francisco Comesana and 18-year-old Brazilian qualifier Joao Fonseca‘s upset of world No. 9 Andrey Rublev. Defending finalist Daniil Medvedev narrowly avoided an early exit, overcoming Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej in a grueling five-set match.

Lys’s journey is particularly inspiring given her health challenges. Diagnosed with a rheumatic autoimmune disease in 2020, she has had to adapt her training and tournament schedule. “It’s a daily physical challenge alongside the athletic demands,” she said. “But thanks to treatment, I can continue pursuing my sporting dream.”